Last year’s Waikato floods, the potential slip at Little Waihi near Taupo and the threat of a major swine flu pandemic are all recent examples of how people need to be prepared for emergencies, says Waikato Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM).

Farmers involved in a three-year trial in South Waikato have been able to improve nutrient efficiency and make reductions in the amount of nutrients that will leave their land in future years, says a new report from Environment Waikato.